Barbara Bouza is a trailblazer who has set new precedents and paradigms throughout her career. She became the first woman to ever serve as President of Walt Disney Imagineering and now serves as CannonDesign’s inaugural Executive Director of Live, Work Play.

As President of Walt Disney Imagineering, Barbara led the global team behind Disney’s theme parks, resorts, cruise ships, and immersive entertainment experiences. Known for fusing storytelling with technology and design, she helped bring to life groundbreaking projects like the Avengers Campuses, Guardians of the Galaxy, Cosmic Rewind, World of Frozen in Hong Kong and Fantasy Springs in Tokyo.

At CannonDesign, Barbara leads the charge in growing the firm’s presence and impact in people-focused markets, including housing, civic and community spaces, sports, entertainment and workplace. With a sharp eye on cultural shifts and emerging behaviors, she’s constantly exploring how to best design for how people live today. She and her team at CannonDesign are shaping the next generation of spaces where life unfolds.

Barbara serves as Chair of the SCI-Arc Board of Trustees and is a member of Fast Company’s Impact Council.

Industry: Architecture, experiential design and placemaking

Why I’m excited to be part of WIN Awards: The Women in Innovation team does groundbreaking work – identifying women blazing new trails, surfacing new ideas, speaking up, proving the incredible ingenuity of creative women. I’m deeply honored to be a finalist for the organization’s prestigious award and just a small part of the team’s incredible story.